Life and Death
by venator
Summary: Set one year after the events of Deadbolt: Haldroun is in exile in Kalimdor, but he is by far not alone. The Blood Knights are hot on his trail, and they will stop at nothing to get what they want. Chap 2 is up, Chap 3 soon.
1. Prologue

Prologue

"Here goes... Nothing!" Haldroun said, jumping into the portal. The aperture closed in as the frozen wall of ice behind fell apart. Numerous guards stormed into the storage room only to find a pool of blood and footprints. The guards were dumbstruck. One minute he was here, the next he is gone?

"Where'd he go?! Where is the traitor!" asked one of the guards, throwing his sword to the ground in fury.

"The mage must be invisible! He's hiding somewhere!" said a Knight from behind. They searched everywhere, every block, every hallway, every nook and cranny. No mage. They had lost a prisoner, a warden, tens of guards, and status within Silvermoon. This was an utter failure, and the Knights did not tolerate failure whatsoever.

Meanwhile, Haldroun and Thire had landed in the mountains. The portal had opened a few meters off the ground, which was not intended by the magister. When the duo had reached the other side, they slammed into the rock-laden pathway that circled through the peaks of Eversong. Haldroun was almost knocked unconscious. The sun was almost down, shining its bright rays of warmth and life. As Haldroun looked up, he felt the warming sensation that had eluded him for over two months.

"Thank you, Thire. But why the mountains??" asked Haldroun, getting himself up from the ground. He struggled to lift the knight's body up. He looked up the path to see a large elven manor, immaculately decorated and designed.

"Is this where you want me to go? This is it? A Mansion?" Haldroun asked his morbid friend. The mage struggled up the hill, straining what little strength he had to get to the home. It took him a good twenty minutes or so to reach the house. On the front gate there was a sign that had writen in Thalassian "Blackdawn Manor". He opened the gate and walked towards the large, golden porch. The door itself was covered in cut crimson gemstones, displayed in an extraordinary fashion. The yard was neatly trimmed and displayed a feel of luxury. Haldroun set the dead elf aside and pounded the door. using a small, obsidian sun door knocker. Within a few seconds, a somewhat older elven woman came to the door. She looked very much like Thire, suggesting that she was his mother or possibly sister.

"Can I help you sir? You look injured, should I get care from the manor?" asked the woman, looking at his many injuries across his face.

"No...That...That's not important. _I'm _not important... Are you... Madame Blackdawn?" Haldroun was out of breath, panting quite a lot in fact.

"Yes, I am. Why are you asking...me..." The woman had looked down at the corpse that was propped up against the house. Her face immediately filled with terror as she started to recognize the elf's features.

"Is that...Is that..?"

"Yes... That is Thire. What was your relation to him?"Haldroun nodded in sadness.

"He was my son... What happened? Was he killed in action? Did he die in battle with the Alliance?" Tears were swelling in Mrs. Blackdawn's eyes as she remarked at her now dead child.

"He was..." Haldroun cleared his throat, "He was killed by a battalion of Knights...at the prison where he kept post... He was murdered by his kinsmen it an attempt to get me out of the complex where I was held."

The woman couldn't handle it any longer. Sparkling tears swept down her cheeks like drops of rain. She let out great sobs of agony and despair. Haldroun soon heard footsteps coming down a large spiral staircase.

"What is it Cera? What is the matter?" A tall, imposing figure stood before Haldroun. He was dressed in a neat tunic and wore large, cobalt colored boots.

"Its...Thire..." Cera pointed at the knight's body, "Aldonus...He's dead"

Aldonus' eyes filled with anguish and anger. He stared at the beaten Haldroun, believing him to be the cause of his favored son's death. He charged towards the mage, grabbing him by the throat and shoving him against a stone pillar

"What the hell did you do to my son!"

"I...I..." Haldroun tried to cough out the words stating he was innocent. The elf's grasp, however, was much too strong to break free of.

"Aldonus, stop this!" His wife pleaded for Haldroun's release.

Aldonus kept his grip tight on the former prisoner, slowing squeezing the life out of the mage.

"Stop this! He is Innocent! Our son is dead because that man was wrongly imprisoned! He tried to help him escape!" Cera shouted with surprising audacity. Her outburst was so effective it relinquished Aldonus' hold. Haldroun fell to the ground, gasping for new air.

"Collect yourself, mage. Come inside and explain yourself afterwards..."

A few hours later...

Haldroun sat in a large, comfortable sofa in a spacious living room. The ceiling was decorated with an expertly painted mural, displaying the creation of Azeroth. Statues of historical figures from the elves' past decorated the room, and a large portrait of Aldonus hung from the wall. Immense windows poured moonlight into the room, giving an eerie illumination to the space around him. Haldroun was sipping a small cup of lemon tea, the first real food he had in a while. Across from him was the Blackdawn Patriarch, who also sipped tea.

"So, this is what really happened then?" asked Aldonus, setting his small ivory cup on a table

"Yes... all of it. I'm sorry your son had to die the way he did."

"He died doing something he believed in. It was an honorable cause, and at least it was fulfilled." Aldonus picked his tea up again, taking in a few sips before addressing Haldroun again. "You look familiar. What did you say your name was?"

"Oh... I'm Haldroun. Haldroun Frostfury."

"I see... A shame what happened to your family. I was a friend of your father's, you know. I attended his burial ceremony." Aldonus poured himself another goblet of tea

"I don't seem to remember you, Sir Blackdawn."

"I can understand. You must've been too overcome by grief. Oh, yes. I can remember your father as if it was only yesterday. He was a great man, and we fought many battles together in the second war."

Haldroun set his drink down before talking to the elf.

"Are you a magister or a blood knight?"

"Neither. I was a hunter in my day, but I have ties within the Order. Following the atrocities committed towards you and my son, however, I will see that those ties are cut."

Haldroun was worried, however. Even though he was safe here at the Blackdawn Manor, there is the possibility that the blood knights have a bounty out for him. He would have to escape to somewhere remote if he was going to continue to be safe...

A few days later...

"I understand how you were indirectly the cause of the death of my son... But I do not blame you. He did a good thing getting you out of that... hellish place. You have my forgiveness, Haldroun."

"Thank you, Aldonus."

"So, where to now? Where are you going to hide next? You know that I cannot shelter you for much longer."

"Heh... Haven't thought it out yet. Perhaps I will exile in Kalimdor. Its remote enough to where the Blood Knights will have a hard time tracking me."

"I might be able to help. You see, I know a good friend of mine who runs a trade route between Stranglethorn Vale and the Barrens. He's a Goblin, and he's thrifty, but I think i'll be able to get you passage."

"Thank you, so very much. You have no idea how much you have helped me."

"Good luck, Haldroun."

With that, Aldonus shook his hand, and sent him towards a future of strife.

_A/N: So, its been a while since i've typed up anything. I thought Deadbolt had enough good ratings to warrant a solid sequel. I was writing this under the name 'The Kalimdor Four' for a while. I know this one is a bit short, but most of the chapters after this will be content rich. So, I hope you enjoy Life and Death. Namaste!_


	2. One year later

Chapter One

One Year later...

Dusk had swept over the scorched desert of Tanaris. The predators of the day slumbered on as the hunters of the night prowled for food. The moonlight Illuminated the goblin town of Gadgetzan, casting strange shadows on the surrounding mountains and peaks. In the mountain pass, a tall shadow-like figure observed the small outpost before coming down the sloped road. His green eyes pierced through the night air like dual flames, and as he came into town, he threw up the hood of his somewhat tattered robes. He did not want to arouse suspicion of who he was or why he was here. He walked into the closest tavern, seeking to drink away his day. The bar was well lit by several oil-lamps positioned across the tables. The tavern folk were having a grand time, singing drinking songs and dancing to the fiddler's tune. Some men were passed out on the ground from too much of their favorite ale, some were arm-wrestling, some were just plain fighting. The man wished that he could enjoy the festivities, but that would mean letting his guard down, and letting his guard down was the last thing he would ever want. He finally took a seat at the bar, resting his head on the wooden surface.

"Should I be getting' ya anything, laddie?" a Dwarven Bartender approached the worn-out man. He mistook the weary traveler for a human, and thus spoke in common.

"What is the strongest ale you have at the moment, sir..." Even though his accent was thalassian, the

Elf's voice was roughened and hoarse, as if he had spent most of his life in the wild. There was a good amount of scarring over to the left of his face, possibly from a bar fight or some other brawl he had gotten himself into. His jet black hair was unkempt and shoved under his hood. His garments were faded and ripped in areas, and he wore gloves on both hands to protect against the elements. He was fluent in common, suggesting that he had spent some time with the Alliance.

"At the moment? Well, we've got some extra Darkmoon Reserve in the back. One shot a' that will get any man hammered. Blood elf are ya, laddie?" the Dwarf went over to the liquor storages to fetch the ale. He came back with a large bottle of alcohol, and poured its contents into a flagon.

"Yes... I am a blood elf. But... I'm not allied to Silvermoon. I'm an outcast of their society." The elf picked up his ale and took a large, swirling gulp.

"Ah, I see. Did ya kill a man, did ya?" The dwarf leaned against the bar with a devilish grin on his face.

"Heh... You can say that..." The elf chuckled a bit before taking another chug of ale.

"So, what's yer name traveler!" asked the Dwarf, pouring himself some reserve

"You can call me Cederin. And what is your name, fine sir?" The elf extended his hand outwards

"Oh, laddie, you can call me Des." Des extended his stock, chubby hand and shook the elf's. Cederin wasn't his real name, however. Just an alias used by the fugitive Haldroun Frostfury. By this point in time, Haldroun had used an extensive number of false names. He had changed his appearance several times over, even using magic to mask his green eye color to make it seem like he was a High Elf. Despite his attempts to outrun the Knights, they were always close behind. From the forests of Ashenvale to the swamps of Duskwallow, Haldroun was running out of places to hide. He feared that he would be captured again by those monsters.

"So, what are you doing all the way out here laddie?" the dwarf asked with sincerity.

"Field research. I'm part of a scientific research group based in the Stonetalon Mountains."

"So, you're a scientist? Your clothing speaks a different language."

"I went through a lot to get here, Des..." The mage spoke with a bit of annoyance.

Des was about to speak before the clink of chain and plate metal sounded at the door. A squad of three armored blood elves marched in. As they walked nearer towards the center, the festivities halted to a stand still. One of the knights strode over to the wall where he placed a bounty. The lead elf stood up on a chair in order to be heard, where he yelled a command.

"Oi! You drunkards! We're posting a reward here for anyone competent and brave enough to capture and kill one Haldroun Frostfury! Bounty is set at 1,000 gold dead, 2,500 gold alive! Be warned that he is well armed and well taught in the arcane arts!" The elf had a commanding voice that resonated through-out the tavern.

Haldroun took in account of his now compromised position. He would have to leave very quickly if he was to avoid entrapment. He set down his drink, put some silvers on the table and rushed out of the bar. As he exited, the lead knight questioned Des.

"Be needing help, laddie?"

"Yes, I do, dwarf. Have you seen an elf, about five feet tall, wearing worn-out magister's robes? He had scars near his left eye as well..."

"Really now? I don't think I've seen him... But I saw someone just like him! He was but drinkin' ale with me just a few minutes ago! He left before you got over here!" The Dwarf had realized what he had done. He had harbored a fugitive.

"Thank you, sir!" The lead knight ran out the door to catch Haldroun. The mage wasn't fifty feet away from the tavern before the knights caught up to him.

"Jig's up, Frostfury. We've got you outnumbered, out-geared, and out-skilled. So, should we do this the easy way, or should be butcher you like we did in prison..." The knights sneered as they prepared themselves for battle, Unsheathing their swords and shields. Haldroun stood with his back against them, twiddling his fingers in anxiety. He finally turned around, focusing his piercing green eyes on the knight's. A wild breeze stirred up as the two opposing sides prepared for battle.

"Come on, Hal... Your move. Lets see if you're really what you are cracked up to be..."

"I take no pleasure in doing this..." Haldroun prepared an impressive fireball, but instead of firing it directly at the knights, the sent it downward, where it exploded. The resulting shockwave sent the Knights flying off of their feet. As they stammered up, Haldroun unleashed a barrage of lethal icicles. One hit its mark, sending blood flying across the ground. One pinned a knight's arm to the ground, leaving him immobilized. Another hit the last knight's thigh, immobilizing him as well. Haldroun finished off the first knight before moving on to the other, who was trying to scamper away.

"When your superiors find you, tell them better luck next time..." Haldroun took out his staff and whacked the knight over the head. The elf was out cold, but Haldroun couldn't help but notice something. The knight's skin had a green tint to it. It was something that could have been easily missed if Haldroun did not have as good of eyes as he did. Using his skinning knife, he cut samples from each of the knights. The skin felt tainted, as if it was infected by some kind of disease.

"Now, to get this to the mountains..."

Haldroun looked around his surroundings, making sure there were no more Knights to be seen. Once he was sure of his safety, he ran towards the far north.


	3. Reunion

Chapter 3

An eerie darkness surrounded the strange, somewhat distorted hallway in which Haldroun stood. He looked around, confused as to where he was and why he was there. He couldn't make out what his surroundings were exactly, but he could best describe it as a prison walkway. The walls pulsed and warped to the beat of his heart, giving off an etheral aura of danger and helplessness. The corridor seemed to stretch into infinity, and was covered in iron cast doorways. Some looked like they could not be opened at this point it time, others looked like they had been blasted open with astronomical force. One door, however, caught Haldroun's attention the most. It was made of wood, and its wavy designs of azure reminded Haldroun of his childhood more than a century ago. A childhood filled with tranquility and happiness, a huge contrast to the rugged, dark times he lived in now. The door also contained whispers, of what Haldroun was not certain. As he neared the door, they became clearer and clearer, massing in number, their ghastly chorus increased in number but never in volume.

"The mountains... go to... the mountains..."

"You're not going to last much longer in here..."

"...Only an egotistical man introduces himself by his title..."

"...You of all people... you would betray me, the both of you?!"

The voices seemed to come from both his past and his future. As Haldroun neared the door, it light ablaze with pure white. He quickly shielded his eyes from the flash, but he soon realized that the light was much more soothing that painful. As he opened the door, the voices suddenly muted. He could hear nothing but his somewhat frantic breathing. The door flew open, and in the portal stood a shockingly familiar figure. Haldroun's heart seemed to skip a few beats as he walked backwards.

"No... no, It can't be you.." Haldroun spoke with complete shock and awe.

"I'm afraid so, Haldroun. I'm afraid its time to go."

"No! Its not fair!"

"Its time to wake up, Haldroun... Its time to wake up and smell the ashes"

The figure drew a broadsword seemingly carved out of light. He charged towards the Mage with a kind of grim determination. Haldroun gave no resistance, believing that it wouldn't make a difference.

The man thrust the sword into Haldroun, but instead of blood, Haldroun started to fall apart.

"Wake up, My friend!"

Haldroun's eyes flew open. He panted with ferocity, trying to regain his breath. He was covered in sweat, and lying on dusty windswept ground. He had dozed off half way to the Stonetalon Mountains, in the Barrens. He cursed himself for not remaining alert and awake, as the Knights could have simply whisked him away in the night. He survived this night's sleep, but it was a risk not worth taking again. Haldroun didn't get much sleep over the last year, a self imposed insomnia. For every 5 days, he was awake for four. He was crafty, however, and always secured enough supplies from the environment around him to keep his energy up. It was very early in the morning, before the unforgiving sun of the barrens had shown itself. Haldroun got up, dusted off his robes, and picked up a large, brown traveling bag. He started towards the mountains again, contemplating the dream, and what it meant exactly. Everything seemed so vague, yet familiar to him. The cell doors, the claustrophobic feeling, the darkness... Everything, except for the man. He could not remember the man at all, other than the sword that he brandished. The sword didn't remind him of anything in particular, only something a Knight would use. But this knight talked to him as if he were a comrade or friend, not as an enemy. It puzzled him to the point of madness; He wore white armor, while Knights wore black. He wore a helmet, something the knights never did. He decided that he would give it more thought when he got to his destination. He continued his trek, and within a few hours arrived at a narrow mountain pass. Above on a large hill was a giant metal laboratory. It was tiered, with many terraces and scaffolding around the outside. A stocky tower next to the building had a large, incomplete object sitting on its top. The machine was covered by a tarp which was stitched and woven many a time over. As he walked through the ravine, more features had become apparent to Haldroun. There was a small observational telescope perched on the roof, and several widows lined the outside wall.

"This must be it" mumbled Haldroun to himself. He went into his traveler's bag and pulled out the pieces of flesh he and stolen from the Knights the previous day. They still had the same sickly green tone as they did before, and Haldroun felt a certain unease handling them. He headed into the shack, looking around the small, cramped room. Machinery lined every corner of the space. Everything from transporters to gadgetzan and other cities to bombs and flying machine parts.

"Where is it... Its got to be around here somewhere." He rummaged through the random parts and gizmos, but could not find what he was looking for. He looked across the room to see the most peculiar thing, a lit stove. This puzzled him, as nobody was supposed to be living here anymore. Quickly he took out his staff and stood at guard,

"Who goes there! Is anybody here!" he Circled around, looking for any intruders. Suddenly, a hushed voice came from behind. "Hello?"

Haldroun swiveled around, swinging his staff with the added centrifugal force. The man ducked in time before knocking the staff out of his hands. He then knocked Haldroun off of his feet with a well placed punch to the chest. The man- or elf, apparently- wore green glossy goggles and engineer's garb. He had short, messy black hair with a goatee and full facial hair. He was very neatly trimmed, except for his hair, which was purposefully unorganized. Once he realized who the intruder was, he removed the glasses. He had most of the same facial features as Haldroun, excluding his facial scarring. His face was a bit more stock than Haldroun's. The elf's eyes were blue, signifying that he was not a sin'dorei. He extended a hand towards the mage.

"Haldroun? You're alive?"

"Me? What about you, Mortan? I thought you had died at the Dalaran Incident!"

"I escaped Dalaran before the legion's lord was summoned." said Mortan.

"Well, I guess both of our assumptions were wrong. And you've been here for six years?"

"Not really... I was in Stormwind for a while before I realized that the Laboratory was still intact. Come looking for me, did you?"

"Apologies, Brother, but I came here to analyze these samples" Haldroun held out the three vials. Mortan took them from his brother's hands and looked at them with great detail. He then rushed over a very large, buzzing machine than shot hot smoke from many different pipes. He carefully removed the samples and placed them into a small, metallic tray. The engineer then ran over to computing console before turning towards his brother.

"How old were the samples?" asked Mortan with urgency.

"Only a day old.." Haldroun replied. Mortan started to punch in numbers as the machine starred to whir louder and louder. He finally hit a small blue button, and the machine went to work.

"What does this thing do, Brother?" asked Haldroun.

"Oh... its uh... its an analyzer. It analyzes compounds for substances like iron and other materials."

"Wait, Iron? Like metal? This thing isn't even designed for skin tissue!" Haldroun replied with some frustration, "I'm wasting my-"

Before Haldroun could reply, Mortan took him by the shoulder and lead him to a table. A glowing green rock rested on the wooden top.

"Do you know what this is, brother?"

Haldroun slowly nodded his head side to side.

"This little rock here, is Fel Ore. This little rock contains fel energy. Now, when I saw your sample's green color, I thought that they might be contaminated with fel energy just like that ore. I set the machine to the detect the energy. Got it?"

Haldroun shrugged off Mortan's grip

"Got it.."

The Machine came to a halt, and a small piece of printing paper came out of the console. Mortan hurried over to investigate the findings.

"Yep. That's fel energy alright." Mortan looked puzzled as he examined the readings, "Where did you get these?"

"I was... In a bar fight." Haldroun explained with some embarrasment.

"A bar fight?! With whom?"

"Blood knights. Elven paladins... They're not as you remember, Mortan. They're twisted, evil, without morality."

"And you... skinned them?" Mortan said with some disgust

"I only took those three pieces... I wanted to figure out why they were so discolored."

"Well, that explains..." looked at Haldroun's facial scars "... that. But why do they have fel energy imbued within them? What would light-users want with fel power?"

"I don't know.." Haldroun looked at Mortan with confusion. Mortan got back to the findings

"The machine wasn't able to measure how much energy was in the samples. We're going to need a comparison."

Haldroun walked towards the table with the Fel Ore.

"Haldroun, that Ore has almost no energy left. There is no way we could compare these samples against that. You're going to have to get a fresh sample from Desolace, south of here. There is a large legion settlement, you should be able to find enough Fel-corrupted objects there for a comparison"

"What is this, some kind of Fetch quest!" Haldroun exclaimed

"I'm sorry, Brother. Its the closest source of resources. Here, take this." Mortan handed his brother a small stone with a green spiral etched in, "This is a hearthstone. When you're done collecting the items, use this to teleport back to the Lab. But be careful, It requires more mana than similar spells. After you use it, it will need an hour to recharge, so only use it when you have the items."

"Got it, Brother." Haldroun shook is brother's hand and started towards the door.

"Don't get yourself killed!" shouted Mortan.

After running for an hour or so, Haldroun reached the settlement. The legion had set itself up in the ruins of an old Kal'dorei city. Demons were everywhere Haldroun looked. Felbeasts capable of sucking the life out of him lurked around every building, sniffing out possible sources of mana. Giant felguards stomped throughout the ruins, ready to eviscerate any poor soul stupid or brave enough to cross their path. Haldroun hid behind a large boulder, and when he saw his opportunity, slowly crept towards a large green body of ooze. Haldroun looked around for any thing that might be covered in the searing green gel. He soon spotted an ancient sword half-way submerged in the pool.

"There we go" He whispered to himself. He walked towards the sword, slowly moving his arm towards the item. The distance between his hand and the burning pit of despair was millimeters. He heard the sound of large, pounding footsteps. A Felguard on patrol came dangerously close to his position. He stood as still as the ruins around him, his arm still extended towards the sword. The Felguard suddenly stopped, and looked towards the pool. Haldroun, with his free hand, cast an invisibility spell to keep him safe. The felguard kept his eyes on the pool, and time seemed to stand still. Seconds felt like years, the intensity was heart-pounding. After a minute of complete silence, the Guard went about his business. Haldroun sighed, and relaxed for a moment. He let his arm down, and then

"ARGH!" His hand fell into the pit, and he screamed in immense pain. The Felguard saw him, and came charging. Haldroun quickly grabbed the sword and started to run towards a mountain range. Soon, an onslaught of demons were chasing after him. He used his blink spell in order to get some distance from the slower, larger Felguards, but the felhounds were a different story. They bolted at him, thirsty for mana and life force. He used some fire blasts to ward of two, but one was able to knock him to the ground. The mage quickly grabbed the demon's suckers, which desperately tried to suck energy from him. The beast roared in Haldroun's face, its razor sharp fangs coming within inches of his face. Haldroun brought up his boot, and kicked the hound several feet away. The Felbeast whimpered before limping back to its demonic masters.

"At least I didn't get myself killed" Haldroun chuckled. "Seems in good condition, Should be a good sample for Mortan." He examined the sword for any flaws before taking the Hearthstone out of his bag.

Haldroun was about activate the rune, when a faint scream caught his attention. He swiveled around, facing a large cliff face. A mounted figure, possibly a Centaur, had knocked a figure off of the cliff edge. As person fell helplessly to their death, Haldroun raced to save him. The man fell faster and faster, nearing the cold blighted ground with intensity. In a last ditch attempt, Haldroun cast a slow fall spell at the man. He started to slow down, but he still hit the ground with a large amount of force. Haldroun rushed over to see the damage. The man... or woman, now that he was closer, was a blood knight. She wore standard issue armor, with a large plate helmet that concealed her face. Even though she was a blood knight, Haldroun felt the need to help her.

"Are you alright! Can you hear me!" Haldroun yelled. The knight moaned in pain, clenching her side.

"Are you injured? Have you been cut in your side?" The woman passed out before Haldroun could get any answers from her.

"What to do... What to do... I can't just leave her..." After a few minutes of thought, Haldroun finally grabbed a hold of the knight, and activated the hearthstone.

_A/N: Sorry this took forever to make and Publish. I got super sidetracked with other projects and such. I'll be sure to publish the rest of the chapters soon enough. Hope you enjoyed this chapter._

_venator._


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